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Wine Description
The Story
Blend: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc
A kaleidoscope of grapiness, produced exclusively from hand harvested grapes in predominantly clay and limestone vineyards, from a dozen of the most favored localities in and around Riquewihr. Gentil "Hugel" allies the suave, spicy flavor of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of both Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.
Terroir: The grapes used to produce Hugels "Classic" wines come exclusively from estate owned vineyards or from growers under long term contract surrounding the village of Riquewihr.
Vinification: Hugel Gentil is a traditional Alsace blend of varying amounts of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat and Sylvaner. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled vats followed by natural clarification in neutral vessels over the winter. The wine is lightly fined and gently filtered prior to bottling in the spring.
Beginning with the 2009 vintage, Gentil is bottled exclusively with the DIAM closure to avoid any risk of cork taint.
From The Wine Advocate "You start into the Hugel world with the Gentil Hugel, a dry white assemblage of all noble Alsatian grape varieties except of Pinot Noir. The wine “revives an ancient Alsace tradition whereby a wine assembled from a range of noble grapes was called 'Gentil.'" The Hugels communicate and further: "Perfectly dry, our Gentil brings together the elegance of Riesling, the richness of Pinot Gris, the fruit-driven aromas of Gewurztraminer and Muscat, and the freshness of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner."
Wine Information
The vintage :
12 days of bitter cold in February (-18°C), budburst early April, flowering spread over 3 weeks.
Damp early summer but superb August. Harvest began on 24 September. Superb grapes.
Patchy weather during part of the harvest then fine sunny intervals.
Fine well-balanced classic wines, similar to 2011 but richer and with more depth, yet already accessible.
Hugel did not make any SGN in 2012.
In the vineyard :
A kaleidoscope of grapiness, produced exclusively from hand harvested grapes in predominantly clay and limestone vineyards, from a dozen of the most favored localities in and around Riquewihr. A cool and long growing season give this unique dry wine great finesse and unequalled drinkability.
Winemaking :
The grapes are taken in small tubs to the presses, which are filled by gravity, without any pumping or other mechanical intervention.
After pressing, the must is decanted for a few hours, then fermented in temperature-controlled barrels or vats (at 18 to 24°C). The wine is racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wine is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged in our cellars until released for sale.
The whole production of this wine is closed with DIAM the cork without the risk of cork taint.
Alcohol level : 12.8°
Residual Sugar (g/l) : 1,3
Acidity (g/l) : 6,11
pH : 3.23
Age of vines : 25
Yields : 65 hl/ha
Grapes :
Gewurztraminer : 14%
Muscat : 2%
Riesling : 20%
Pinot gris : 23%
Sylvaner & Pinot Blanc : 41%